CAN (BC): First licence for private, non-medical cannabis retail store

The first legal, private non-medical cannabis retail store licence in British Columbia has been issued in Kimberley.

The licence was issued by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) to Tamarack Cannabis Boutique, and is effective Nov. 1, 2018.

Now that the business is licensed, the store operator will determine when it will open for sales.

Additional private, non-medical cannabis retail store licences will be issued as applicants proceed through the licensing process. The process requires security screening and financial integrity checks, support from the local government and/or Indigenous nation, and a store inspection. The LCRB posts weekly updates on the number of cannabis retail store applications on its website, under “application statistics”: https://justice.gov.bc.ca/cannabislicensing/

The first government-operated BC Cannabis Store opened in Kamloops on Oct. 17, 2018. Private and public retailers may sell dried cannabis, cannabis oils and capsules that comply with federal requirements. These stores may also sell cannabis accessories as defined in the federal Cannabis Act, such as rolling papers, pipes and bongs.